A hunting expedition ended in tragedy as a hunter, Sunday Ijiola, was allegedly shot dead by a colleague, Atanda Agbobiado, in a forest at Pakoyi, via Owode Ketu, Yewa North Area of Ogun.
Our correspondent learnt that the incident happened on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, when roughly fifteen hunters ventured into the forest to hunt. It was further gathered that the hunters separated themselves to keep a prey from escaping.
According to a PUNCH Metro Police source that our correspondent spoke with on Sunday, the deceased, 43, was said to have been mistaken for the beer they were pursuing in the forest.
The cop said, “It was said that a group of hunters from Owode-Apesin village, consisting of about 15 people, went to the forest to go about their hunting activities, and then saw a big deer in the forest.
“They decided to make it their target and noticed it was gradually disappearing from their view, so they decided to strategically hunt it by double-crossing the fleeing animal.”
The culprit, Agbobiado, shot at the prey while they were pursuing it. His colleagues reportedly raced excitedly to the target but were startled to see that the victim was the one who had been shot.
However, the victim was said to have passed away while being transported to a hospital for medical attention.
The spokesperson for the Ogun Police Command, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident and disclosed that an investigation into the death of the hunter had commenced.
She said, “We are currently investigating the scene of the crime, as our operatives have visited there and also taken photographs of the corpse. Efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspect.
“The father of the victim has requested that an autopsy be conducted and also requested that the body of the victim be released to him in line with the traditional rites. The case file with parties will be transferred to the state criminal investigation department for further investigation.”
PUNCH Metro reported a similar occurrence on May 2, 2023, when fellow hunters unintentionally shot and killed a colleague as they were hunting in a scrub in the state’s Odeda district on April 20.
The incident, it was learnt, threw the Egba Hunters Association, a group the deceased belonged to, into confusion.
“I am aware of the matter. All of them are hunters. One of them shot at an animal, and the bullet hit one of their members. They reported the matter at the Odeda Police Station. We investigated and discovered that it was a case of an accidental discharge.
“The family of the dead man said they would not press charges since it was not a case of intentional killing. But we did our work properly and are still on the matter. As we speak, an investigation into the matter is ongoing,” a former state police public relations officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said.
